


Voice of the friends

by Steangine



Series: Voice of us [3]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M, hinted Renji/Rukia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 08:17:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14351565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steangine/pseuds/Steangine
Summary: First the dad, then the family, now the friends. Grimmjow imagined that dating Ichigo would have implied having more contacts with humans, but he's not a great fan of having too many people around. Especially when some of these people don't really like the idea of him being with Ichigo.[Requested on tumblr][Follows “Voice of the family”]





	Voice of the friends

**Author's Note:**

> Follows this one (https://archiveofourown.org/works/14150418). I decided to go on with this timeline after two requests on tumblr.

“I thought we were over with this kind of things.”

“Just this time. I had to tell my friends.”

“Okay, but why another lunch? I hate this body.”

“This time I asked Urahara to make the skin of the gigai similar to your hierro. You shouldn’t scratch like you have a disease anymore.”

“This thin thing will resist against a knife?”

“Don’t you dare trying again! Yuzu fainted when you started bleeding during dinner! Why in the world did you cut your hand?”

“I wanted to try how that body was resistant. I was getting bored.”

“You have the instinct of a scientist, huh? Well, if you get bored, this time don’t harm yourself.”

“Yes, yes…”

Grimmjow snorted.

Ichigo knew he didn’t want to attend another lunch – this time the meeting was with his friends. However, Tatsuki insisted to meet with his boyfriend who came from _the other side_ , as she called it, and Keigo and Mizuiro supported her. Ichigo was about to decline, when Orihime declared, out of the blue, that having lunch together would have been great and everyone could go to her place. Somewhere during the planning, Rukia and Renji slipped in the guests list. Ichigo forecasted a disaster.

It took some time for his friends to accept the situation, especially those who knew Grimmjow. It was incredible how the first one to go back to a normal attitude was Ishida, who declared that, to that point, it was stupid dividing the world into Hollows and good creatures. Probably Rukia was faster than Ishida to accept it, but she was in Seireitei and, when she visited again, she smacked Ichigo on the head when he brought up the topic starting with a “Sorry.”; Renji still had some doubts and probably Chad too. Orihime for a while stopped trying to talk with him every time she had the chance and Ichigo felt guilty. Tatsuki was surprised, Keigo froze and Mizuhiro looked at him with wide eyes; even if they missed the whole _three times he tried to kill me_ picture, the news their friend Ichigo had a boyfriend and not a girlfriend was shocking enough.

But almost everything seemed back to normal.

Now he just had to prevent Grimmjow from saying something stupid or suspicious. Or both stupid and suspicious.

It was Renji who opened the door. His eyes darted towards Grimmjow, Grimmjow looked back, and the tension made Ichigo‘s hair curl.

“Hiya, Renji. Already here?”

“Yo, Ichigo.” His voice was a bit cold. “Rukia wanted to cook with Orihime. And everyone is here already.”

“I see.”

Grimmjow registered that information but immediately threw it away. Probably the shinigami went there to keep an eye on him, not surprising. He didn’t mind, since he had not belligerent intentions – not that time, at least. He walked inside the house and recognized the giant boy who was with the mad hat and the yapping woman, while he had no clue on who was the four eyes with a nice reiatsu next to him, nor the other three humans sitting with them around a table. All their eyes focused on him and they all looked like they’d never seen a human before.

An awkward silence surrounded them all and they could hear the voices of the girls coming from the kitchen.

“Renji! Ichigo’s here?”

Rukia’s voice pierced that heavy atmosphere as she stormed out the kitchen. She was wearing a pink apron with a white bunny on it and brandishing a whisk like a zanpakuto towards Ichigo.

“You fool, you’re late!”

“We’re in time! It’s you who were early!”

“You had to come and help!”

From behind, Orihime was trying to calm Rukia down.

“No, no. It’s fine. I didn’t even mean you and Abarai to come and help me, there was Tatsuki already, but…”

“Nonsense! We couldn’t just leave you doing everything on your own!”

Ichigo was sure he heard Renji murmuring something very similar to a “But I wanted to sleep.”

Orihime went closing the door and the urge of getting out of there jumped on Grimmjow, who would have gladly jumped out the window to escape that place crawling with humans and shinigami.

Grimmjow was aware that staying with Ichigo meant sharing parts of his life he didn’t like. The family was more or less okay – the little cook was nice, the dad was kinda freak but almost decent, definitely good the black small Kurosaki who had a glare Grimmjow would have loved to see more often on Ichigo when they fought. But friends were another pair of sleeves.

When they reached the living room, Ichigo saw everyone was already there. Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuhiro and Ishida sitting next to Sado – so big that Ishida seemed smaller than he actually was. Then he noticed that everyone turned to them and shut up as if they had just stopped talking about them. Comprehensible. He understood Keigo and Mizuiro’s puzzled looks, but he didn’t know why Tatsuki seemed so shocked. So… angry?

“Hi, everyone.”

Keigo’s voice was a bit high-pitched, Mizuiro seemed normal, but he kept looking at Grimmjow, Tatsuki didn’t say anything and Sado’s greeting was weak.

“You’re late, Kurosaki.”

“It’s you who’s early, Ishida!” Ichigo pouted back. “By the way… he’s Grimmjow.”

Everything seemed unnatural. Grimmjow just looked at his friends with a bored expression and didn’t say anything immediately; but right before Ichigo elbowed him, he spoke with a monotone voice.

“Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.”

No _nice to meet you_ , but Ichigo didn’t expect anything. He was lucky he managed to drag Grimmjow to that lunch Inoue planned, he couldn’t hope for him to at least pretend to be friendly.

“I am Mizuiro Kojima.” Mizuiro was the first one to recover and he seemed back to normal. “You know, if I was into men, I’d try to steal him from you, Ichigo. He’s definitely handsome, what kind of trick did you use?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Ichigo frowned at Mizuiro, but he was acting normally – pretending? Maybe yes, maybe not, but the idea didn’t touch his mind, because he trusted his friends. That took off some more pebbles from his chest.

“That it feels strange knowing you are with such a handsome man.”

“You’re the last one who can talk, Mizuiro.” Keigo blurted out. “I don’t know why older women keep gravitating around you! It makes no sense!”

They were arguing -only Keigo, Mizuiro just looked at him- and all the ruckus brought upon them a familiar atmosphere. But then, all of a sudden, Tatsuki slammed both hands on the table, shattering the mood.

“W-woah. Tatsuki, you–“

She didn’t mind Keigo, her eyes were piercing Grimmjow.

“You are the one who fought against Ichigo. Three years ago.”

It wasn’t a question.

Ichigo opened his mouth, his mind totally blank, as he wasn’t aware that Tatsuki witnessed his first battle -or the second one?- with Grimmjow. But Grimmjow was faster.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“You were trying to kill him.” Tatsuki stood up.

“Of course I was.”

Ichigo prayed for a hole to open under his feet. He glanced at Ishida and Sado, but they looked as lost as he was and didn’t know how to help. Same went for Renji, who looked less uninterested about the outcome, and Ichigo knew he couldn’t count on him that time.

“Then, why in the world–“

Grimmjow cut Tatsuki’s words.

“Because it was battle and we were fighting for the opposite barricades.”

“What barricades? That Aizen guy?”

“Yes.”

His voice was strange. Grimmjow sounded disgusted by the idea he sided with Aizen in the past, or maybe it was just the memory of the shinigami who made him do that face. Ichigo didn’t know, but could guess, as Grimmjow confessed him his only regret was bringing to death his comrades.

Tatsuki expected him to deny everything, but he was blunt and sincere. She was taken aback, and it surprised her so much that she couldn’t formulate anything complicate.

“Why were you with him and now you’re with Ichigo?!”

“I was with Aizen because… somehow I owed him and… he was stronger than me.”

Grimmjow looked like he would have rather started acting friendly with everyone in the house than saying aloud that back then he stood no chance against Aizen.

The cheerful mood that Asano and Keigo had started to build, vanished under the strength of that short but angered conversation. Orihime and Rukia entered the room and nobody noticed it. None of them found anything to say, mostly because the doubts about Ichigo’s relationship with Grimmjow still lingered deep inside them.

“…that’s not a justification.”

“It’s not a justification.”

“So, you pick the side of the strongest, huh?”

Things were escalating too quickly. Ichigo looked at Grimmjow and was sure to find a killing glare; but instead, he only looked like he was dealing with a toddler and was so close to raising his eyes to the ceiling.

Mizuiro interrupted them with a calm voice, as if he was casually asking about their plans for the weekend.

“And why now you’re with Ichigo?”

His words hit the right spot. Grimmjow had no sudden reply and everyone was waiting. His face was still a mask of indifference, but Ichigo felt tension flowing out of him, maybe a hint of embarrassment. Ichigo was sure Grimmjow wouldn’t have answered because it would have exposed too much of him and he was glad, because he himself felt so happy to the embarrassment when they were alone and Grimmjow muttered to him…

“I like his ass.”

…not those words. Ichigo was relieved he didn’t say something like _“Because I love him.”_ but wasn’t completely satisfied anyway.

Everyone seemed shocked, except Rukia, who snorted.

“Renji’s is better.”

Renji awakened from his state of silent observer.

“Rukia, what the hell?!”

His face’s color matched his hair.

Then, Orihime clapped her hands and her cheerful voice filled the room.

“Lunch is ready!”

It could have been worse. But also better.

If only Tatsuki hadn’t seen his battle against Grimmjow – again, the first or the second one? But, Ichigo reflected while eating some meat, it would have felt like hiding more to his friends and, after the Quincy war, he decided to reveal everything to them. Of course, the whole I-am-afraid-I-am-falling-for-the-one-who-wants-to-kill-me thing happened a bit later.

They had just started eating when Keigo asked the question also Mizuiro and Tatsuki -before the discovery of Grimmjow’s identity- wanted to say.

“Uhm… Grimmjow… how’s Hueco Mundo?”

It looked like he used all his strengths to talk to him. He stiffened when Grimmjow, who looked like having an eternal glare, paid attention to him.

“White and black.”

“That’s the same answer Ichigo gave us!”

Keigo freaked out and Mizuiro, who was calm, added. “Can’t you be a bit more specific?”

Suddenly, everyone tended their ears, even those who went in Hueco Mundo at least once. Rukia stopped chatting with Orihime and Tatsuki, and even Renji and Ishida, didn’t hide their curiosity.

“Well, there wasn’t much when we sneaked into Hueco Mundo.” Renji said. “Just an endless white desert.”

He talked as if that settled the matter and there wasn’t anything more to say. So, when Grimmjow replied, he snorted.

“Because those were the territories around Las Noches.” Grimmjow explained. “I’ve never been in Las Noches before Aizen recruited me, but I heard that Barrigan and his fraccions stayed there and killed whoever entered their territories. They’ve never been to the human world, according to the rumors.”

“Barrigan?” Keigo didn’t understand and nor did the rest of them.

“Segunda Espada. He had my same rank in Aizen’s army.” Grimmjow added when he spotted three pairs of confused eyes.

“Have you ever been to the human world?” Orihime got involved in the conversation.

“Yes.” Grimmjow pointed at Ichigo. “Twice, to kill him.”

Not the best answer. The atmosphere got a little bit colder.

“…I meant beside that.”

“Not once.”

“Oh, strange…”

“Why?” Orihime almost felt guilty when Grimmjow looked at her, but he wasn’t judging her, nor he was angry. He still had the plain expression of someone who believed he was explaining a common thing. “Ah, I guess you all have this idea hollows take and leave Hueco Mundo as soon as they’re strong enough to take over some weak shinigami, don’t you?” He interrupted to eat some meat and when he noticed everyone was looking at him, he looked back with a puzzled look. “What?”

Ichigo frowned. “You sounded like you had more to say.”

“I have not.” He seemed uninterested.

Rukia poked Grimmjow’s hip -he was stuck in between her and Ichigo- and Grimmjow glared at her.

“What about the hollows?”

“Those who come to the human world are just afraid that stronger hollows will eat them, or part of them and so won’t be able to evolve anymore. But almost all of them die by your hands…”

“I see…” Rukia nodded. “So, you have a sort of… society?”

Grimmjow’s eyes wandered around. He looked up, then down at the bowl and wrinkled his nose and eyebrows.

“…it’s not such a difficult question.” Ichigo said.

“Oh, shut up you!” Grimmjow growled. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

Mizuiro, who at first didn’t seem so interested, asked another question before Grimmjow could sink his sticks into the bowl again.

“But there’s only a huge desert? No mountains, no seas or anything else?”

All of a sudden, Renji awakened from his contemplation.

“Hueco Mundo is a desolated land. There’s nothing in here.”

Then it was Chad’s turn. “Actually, when we got there, we saw some small animals.”

“Yes.” Ishida confirmed. “There’s a different concept of life there… if we can talk about life when it comes to spirits of dead people.”

Rukia and Renji snorted at Ishida at the same time. “Hey! What do you mean by that?!”

The topic was dropped and Grimmjow could finish to eat without anyone else bothering him. But the glances on him remained. Especially Tatsuki’s.

And Tatsuki was the first one whose jaw dropped when, as Orihime started to collect the tableware at the end of the lunch, Grimmjow stood up and helped her. He took his bowl, Ichigo’s and Rukia’s, then stopped in front of Orihime without saying a word. She looked at him, he looked at her.

“Where do I put these?”

He asked with a hint of annoyance.

“Uh, in the kitchen…”

Sado asked the question that struck everyone – except Ichigo.

“Why are you helping her?”

“Hah?” Grimmjow looked at them as if they were idiots and had just asked why they needed to drink water every day. “Because I know my manners.”

“What manners?” Ichigo replied and dodged a spoon casually tilting his head to the left.

Orihime was puzzled and didn’t see Tatsuki getting closer to her to take the bowls from her.

“Ah, Tatsuki!”

“Let me do it, Orihime.”

She didn’t mind Grimmjow and walked to the kitchen. But she felt him behind her.

To the kitchen, back to the living room and again in the kitchen. The silent walk saw Grimmjow, Tatsuki, then Mizuiro and Keigo added to the parade and it became too awkward for anyone to say anything.

“Kuchiki.” Orihime sat down next to her. “About Chappy, I was truly interested. You know–”

Those were the words Tatsuki heard before water started running on the sink. She glanced at Grimmjow, who had his eyes fixed on the stream falling into the bowls. She walked back to the door. Keigo didn’t know what she wanted to do; Mizuiro figured it out. She talked after closing the door.

“I don’t trust you.”

“Yes, I noticed.”

Grimmjow didn’t even turn to her. All she saw was his back and she could only guess he was trying to figure out how to do the dishes.

“Hey, put some of the liquid inside that green bottle on the sponge.”

Mizuiro acted casually and, someone who didn’t know him, could have hinted he was almost friendly with Grimmjow.

“You said you tried to kill Ichigo because you were on different sides. What if you end up on different sides again?” Tatsuki insisted. “I don’t get why Ichigo is with you…”

“Because we fuck each other.”

Tatsuki and Keigo froze. Mizuiro seemed at ease.

“Here it is something I didn’t really want to know…” But then he added. “Is he good?”

Grimmjow just gave him the cold shoulder and Mizuiro sighed.

“I got it, I got it. Too personal I guess.”

Keigo was just observing the situation. Mizuiro was doing the dishes with who was a complete stranger until lunch as if he was side to side with Ichigo and Tatsuki didn’t want to give up.

“And why did you turn from an enemy to–“

“Not your business, woman.”

Grimmjow didn’t yell, yet his voice was firm and even Mizuiro startled. Grimmjow turned his head to look at Tatsuki.

“I don’t owe you any explanation.”

She grinded her teeth. “Ichigo is my friend!”

“And this is why I am here even if I would have gladly stayed by the seaside today.”

“What?”

“I’m here just because that idiot cares about you and he becomes a pain in the ass when it comes to you. He said he didn’t mind, but he minds. He’s just too idiot to admit it.”

Silence. Then Keigo.

“Seaside here?”

“No, in Hueco Mundo.”

“So there’s the sea! And the mountains?!”

“Yes. You humans don’t have an exclusive on landscapes, you know?”

The situation got even more awkward: Keigo and Mizuiro were at both Grimmjow’s sides, Mizuiro pretending to wash the dishes and Keigo doing nothing but looking at the arrancar as if he was looking at a miracle. The only one actually doing his job was Grimmjow. Clumsily, but he was doing it.

“And all these strange creatures, I mean, do they live there? Are there any cities? Villages?”

“If you want to talk, just go outside. I wanted to have some peace here.”

A wave of frustration hit Keigo and he calmed down. When a sudden thought struck him. “But Ichigo had always said Hueco Mundo was just a desert. That liar!”

“He’s only seen the desert, that’s all.” Grimmjow explained.

“How…?” Keigo seemed confused. “You’ve never brought him there?”

“There aren’t many things to see in Hueco Mundo. And he’s never said anything about going there.”

Moreover, he was a shinigami, so those who believe to be strong would have attacked him and all the others would have freaked out and Tier would have scolded him again.

“Have you ever asked him?”

Everyone turned towards Tatsuki. She was leaning against the wall and walked towards them.

“Have you ever asked him?” She repeated. “Ichigo is an idiot. Ever since middle school, he started building this _cool_ reputation, but he’s just an idiot. When he’s in trouble or just wants something, he’d rather bit his tongue than ask.”

“…I’ve never.”

“Then ask him.”

Grimmjow looked laid-back. “Such a big talk.”

Tatsuki pushed Keigo aside -didn’t mind his complaint- and took a sponge.

“I don’t approve of this.”

“I don’t need your approval. Nor Ichigo does, or I wouldn’t be here in the first place.”

“I know.” Tatsuki glared at him. “I know… I trust him. But if you ever do anything bad to him–“

“Too late. I kicked his ass back then.”

“I mean now! He trusts you to the point he wanted to introduce you to us!” Tatsuki squeezed the soap out of the sponge. “I don’t get him, but he wanted you to meet us and I accept that… even if I don’t like you at all.”

Grimmjow turned back to the sink. “Oh wow, I’m flattered…” He smirked. “I could kill you all in one blow, you know?”

Mizuiro nodded. “We figured it. But you won’t.” He shrugged at Grimmjow’s glance. “Ichigo trusts you and we trust Ichigo. That’s all.”

For a while, there were only the sounds of the dishes clattering, the splashing of running water and the screeches of cloth on the tableware. Then Keigo tried again.

“Uhm… about Hueco Mundo–“

“If you are so eager to know, how about me kicking your ass into it and leaving you there for a while, huh?”

And decided he would have never tried again.

No one spied into the kitchen, but Ichigo, at the end of that bizarre afternoon, had more or less an idea of the diagram of his friends with Grimmjow.

Mizuiro and Keigo kinda accepted him, Tatsuki showed how she couldn’t stand him. Renji avoided the topic, but Ichigo read the disappointment into his eyes, while Sado softened a bit. Ishida, Rukia and -at last- Orihime were somehow friendly – in their own particular way.

When Rukia brought up the fact that Grimmjow sank a hole in her and almost blew off her head, and Grimmjow asked if she wanted a revival, Ichigo prayed the gods he didn’t believe in to stop the time so he could have dragged that idiot out of there; and Renji suddenly showed a desire to kill that Ichigo had never sensed from him. But then Rukia poked his hip (a very sensible hip for an arrancar who wasn’t used to a skin which wasn’t hierro), Grimmjow poked her back and they ended up teasing each other’s hip. It was quite surreal, but the blackish spots on their hips were a piece of evidence.

Ishida didn’t talk much with Grimmjow -he was part of the race he was supposed to kill after all- but he acted as if it was a natural thing having him around because he was Ichigo’s boyfriend. His only comment, headed at Ichigo, was “Idiots stick together.”. Ichigo was relieved and pissed off at the same time.

Orihime was kind. Kind as usual, but not the sad kindness Ichigo associated to her since when he revealed his relationship. She was kind. She smiled, she chatted, and she tried to involve Grimmjow into her cheerful mood – and miserably failed, but Ichigo recognized the effort.

Before they left, Orihime gave Grimmjow a bag full of leftover bread, the same that was hanging from Grimmjow’s left arm and from where he kept taking different pieces of bread while walking home.

“You’ll get fat. Haven’t you eaten enough at Orihime’s?”

“Being into this body is energy-consuming for me. It’s only adapted, it is designed for Shinigami.” Grimmjow explained and some crumbles fell on his jacket.

Ichigo passed a thumb on his lower lip, cleaning him like a mother with his son.

“Chocolate bread is the best.”

“Yup. Also this one with olives isn’t bad.”

“What? You’re mixing sweet and salty?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Ah, nevermind…”

Grimmjow was munching on a mouthful of bread. “Hey, Ichigo.” His words mingled with strange sounds.

“Uh?”

“Come over Hueco Mundo next time.”

“Eh?!”

“I’ll come and get you. There’s something I want to show you.”

“Something what?”

Grimmjow licked his thumb. “You’ll know when we get there.”

Ichigo huffed. “Whatever…” He sank both hands in the pockets of his trousers. “What about my friends?”

“That was supposed to be a date…”

“I meant: what do you think about them?” Ichigo talked like he was patiently explaining to a kid he couldn’t throw his dinner on the walls. “Just… the impression.”

“The ones I knew are always the same pain in the ass. The idiot-face wanted to know about Hueco Mundo, a pain in the ass. The girly boy tried to look cool, but whatever. The girl is another pain in the ass, but at least she’s got guts.”

Ichigo made a quick translation from Grimmjow’s vocabulary: it wasn’t a complete disaster.

“For an instant, I thought you would have assaulted Tatsuki. When she came up with siding with the strongest…”

“But I side with the strongest.”

Ichigo frowned.

“I’m on my side.”

“Wow, that’s so lame.”

“Fuck you.”

Grimmjow showed him the middle finger, but he was more interested in the surprise of what type of bread he was about to pick.

Ichigo hesitated a little. “So, if we were to have another lunch, or dinner…”

“Sure. Next century should be fine.”

Ichigo looked at Grimmjow, who was now holding between his teeth a round pain au chocolat. His mouth was hidden, but Ichigo read the signs of a smirk on his face.

“You, little…”

With a quick movement, Ichigo leaned forward and clenched among his teeth the bread, ripping it away from Grimmjow, who remained with a small portion stuck inside his mouth.

“That was the last one! You can eat these every day!”

But Ichigo was already running away and Grimmjow, with the blood boiling inside him with a pleasant roar, run after him.

**Author's Note:**

> It's kinda bittersweet. On one side, I truly wanted to make a frilly thing, on the other, it was almost impossible that Tatsuki didn't recall who Grimmjow was and I liked to make this as much realistic as possible.  
> I guess that the relationship between Grimmjow and Ichigo's friends will improve in the future. Orihime bribes him with food already, nice call.


End file.
